Small habits that save big projects.

Notes from the potting shed

1. Write a one-page brief before talking to any developer. State the problem, who has it, what they do today instead, and how you will know the app helped. If you cannot fill one page, you are not ready to estimate. Planning
2. Separate must, should and later. List every feature you imagine, then move at least half into later. Version one exists to learn, not to be complete. Planning
3. Test with five people before building. Show a clickable prototype to five people who resemble your users. Ask them to complete a task and stay quiet. Note where they hesitate. Design
4. Write error messages as instructions. Instead of "Invalid input", say what to do: "Enter a UK postcode, for example EH15 2LY." Design
5. Check your site without a mouse. Press Tab repeatedly from the top of each page. You should always see where focus is, and reach every link and button in a sensible order. Web
6. Audit your cookies honestly. Open your browser’s developer tools and list every cookie and script your site sets. If you cannot explain each one, remove it or ask for consent. Web
7. Prepare store privacy answers early. Apple and Google both ask what data your app collects and why. Collect this from your developers weeks before submission, not the night before. Publishing
8. Keep accounts in your own name. Developer accounts, domains and hosting should belong to your organisation, with at least two people holding access. Publishing
9. Turn on multi-factor authentication. Start with email, banking, domain registrar and hosting. These are the accounts attackers use to reach everything else. IT basics
10. Know where your backups are. Write down what is backed up, where, how often, and when you last tested restoring a file. An untested backup is a hope. IT basics

Useful external references: W3C WCAG overview, ICO guidance for organisations, NCSC small business guide.